13 Tricks and Treats
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Candy, costumes, pumpkins, and falling leaves make up the season, and our favorite Huntsmen are determined to enjoy every minute. (Series of 13 Halloween-themed mini drabbles.)
1. Glitter and Eyeshadow

**Hello, my homies! Since it's October, I decided to give myself a little challenge. Some of you may remember last year, when I did a challenge around Christmas time, where I wrote 12 mini holiday-themed drabbles over the course of 12 days. Well, I've decided to do 13 Halloween-based drabbles this year! They won't all be shippy, and some might be in different AUs. The way it works out, the last day will be the premiere of Volume 4! (For sponsors, anyway.) Enjoy!**

"Yeah, no." Jaune's voice was flat as he continued to stitch a red interior to his black vampire cloak. "I know you all wanna see it, but it's not happening."

"Aw, come on!" Nora whined. "Add a wand and a crown, put some sparkles on that dress, and you'll be the best fairy princess ever!"

"The dress was a one-time thing."

"Then why do you still have it?" Weiss asked, glancing away from the mirror for a moment so she could smirk in his direction.

"It's a memento," Jaune muttered. "That was my first dance with Pyrrha."

Pyrrha leaned over to kiss his cheek. "That's very sweet, Jaune."

The members of Teams RWBY and JNPR continued to talk and tease each other as they took up most of the common area. Sewing machines, Weiss's mirror and nightstand, several different colors of fabric, fake blood, and face paint littered the area. It would be their first Grimm Night together, and they intended to make the most of it.

Ruby had a binder nearby. "So, we'll do Trick or Treating first. Then, we can go to that party Team CFVY is throwing in the auditorium. When we come home, we absolutely must sort and trade our candy. It's tradition!"

"Aren't we a bit old for Trick or Treating?" Weiss asked, carefully applying a layer of glitter to her eyelids. She had decided to dress as a blue fairy, though the others enjoyed saying that she was donning her "Ice Queen" persona.

"Uh, no!" Ruby gasped. "You never outgrow free candy!"

"Yeah, we're training night and day to save people from Grimm attacks and bad guys," Jaune added. "The least they can do is give us candy, right?" He noticed Weiss squinting and rubbing irritably at her eye. "Need help with that?"

"I'm fine," Weiss sighed. "It's just been a while since I've used this much glitter…"

Jaune walked over, looking at the makeup. "Maybe you could use the shimmery blue stuff on your eyes, and just dab the glitter on your cheeks. There's no way to keep it from getting it in your eyes if you put it on your eyelids."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You carry fashionable dresses, and are knowledgeable concerning makeup and glitter? What else don't we know?"

Jaune laughed. "Just that I'm the best big brother in the world. Seriously, my parents should make me a saint or something." He picked up the blue eyeshadow. "May I?"

Weiss considered for a moment, then nodded and shut her eyes. She held still as Jaune carefully used a wet paper towel to remove the glitter. He dabbed lightly with a dry one before taking the eyeshadow and gently brushing it over her eyelids.

"My little sister Jenny was actually a fairy princess last year. I did the makeup for that too," Jaune murmured as he concentrated on applying the eyeshadow. "She was way more pink, though. She was so hyped to be allowed to wear makeup for a day. She bragged to her friends about it for weeks." He dabbed Weiss's face with a tissue, and stepped back. "There you go!"

Weiss opened her eyes and checked the mirror. The pale blue eyeshadow added just enough of a shimmer around her eyes without being too obvious. Jaune had also applied some beside her eyes, so it looked like the blue was streaming from her eyelids and fading into her skin. "That does look better. Thank you, Jaune."

"No problem. Now, if we just lightly brushed on the glitter like this…" He took a piece of cotton and dipped it in the silvery glitter, running it carefully over Weiss's cheeks. "There! That looks perfect."

Weiss admired her reflection as a thought occurred to her. "You know, I have some red rhinestones that might look nice on your cape."

"I might take you up on that." Jaune grinned. "I can be a vampire with some class!"

Pyrrha smiled fondly at Jaune as he returned to work on his cape. "Since you're so good with that, maybe we should figure out something you can do with that dress, after all."

"Come on, Pyrrha," Jaune said, smirking mischievously. "That seems a bit cruel. I wouldn't want to outshine any of you lovely ladies."

Nora snorted. "Now, you're just making excuses."

"Hey, say what you will about the dance," Jaune said, tossing his hair dramatically. "But I was totally the prettiest girl in the room. I'm not mean enough to upstage you all twice!"

The afternoon passed quickly, the sound of talking and laughter interspersed with the occasional snip of scissors. At one point, there was a splash as Nora spilled a jar of fake blood, prompting everyone else to scramble to salvage their materials. This was followed by a rapid cleanup, a rug being hastily put over the stained area, and some innocent whistles whenever a teacher walked by. Overall, it was a promising start to an incredibly fun-filled Grimm Night.

 **I have a Tumblr account (and am beginning to wonder whether or not this is wise), and have been seeing a lot of hate toward Jaune lately. Like, people ranting about how prominent he's going to be in Volume 4, and even saying he's a creepy jerk who harassed Weiss. That just drives me insane! First of all RWBY Chibi isn't canon. Second, let's look at what he did in canon: He flirted with Weiss before initiation, saved her when she fell from the Nevermore during initiation, tried/failed to ask her out, did a goofy song to ask her to the dance, was all ready to tell her his feelings straight-up, saw that she liked someone else, backed off, and even encouraged the guy she liked to dance with her. Was he oblivious for a while? Yes. However, at no point did he harass her or act like he was entitled to anything. Let's all save the creep-hate for Adam, shall we?**

 **That's what prompted me to make this first drabble a Jaune/Weiss friendship scene. I just wanted to put some positivity out there. I'll see you tomorrow with my next piece. Peace out!**


	2. Hayrides and Haunted Houses (Gemstone)

**Hello, everyone! We're back with chapter 2. Since it's National Coming Out Day, I decided to write some lovely lesbian fluff with one of my favorite ships that I should really write more fics for: Gemstone! This takes place in a Modern AU, but not the same one "The Taste of Mint" takes place in. Enjoy.**

"Come on! There's already a line." Ruby tugged insistently on Emerald's hand, eyes locked on the nearby haunted house.

It was a cool day in mid-October, and Ruby, upon hearing that her girlfriend had never gone to such an event, had insisted on spending the day at Vale Farm during one of its special Halloween weekends. Attractions were set up everywhere, from a hayride, to a bounce house, to a haunted house. Food and drink stands were scattered throughout the grounds. In the barn, children fed corn to the animals.

"I still don't get why you want to do this," Emerald sighed. "Whenever we watch a scary movie, you cover your eyes for the whole thing." Ruby also had a habit of climbing into Emerald's lap and snuggling into her chest while hiding under a blanket. That was a definite perk, not that Emerald would ever admit to thinking so.

"It's part of the season, duh!" Ruby rolled her eyes. "Besides, the tickets cover everything. It'd be a waste not to go once."

"I guess." Emerald frowned as she eyed the fake blood-covered butler who stood at the entrance. "Just hold onto my arm. You know, so you don't get lost or something."

Ruby obediently hugged her girlfriend's arm, smiling brightly. "I'm not worried. You'll protect me from the monsters."

Emerald blushed, averting her gaze so that she wouldn't be looking directly at that way-too-adorable face. "It's not like you're in any actual danger. They aren't even allowed to touch us," she muttered.

Ruby shrugged. "Still, I'm glad I'm with you. I'm always too scared to go into these things alone."

Their turn came and the creepy butler ushered them into the house. They went down a long hallway with flickering lights. Occasionally, a scuttling sound could be heard right by their ears, as if a swarm of spiders was creeping just on the other side. Ruby shivered, moving closer to Emerald's side.

"You do realize that they're more likely to target you if they know you're already scared." Emerald glanced down at Ruby, who stared up at her in horror.

"They _are_?!"

Without warning, they stepped from the hallway into a dimly-lit living room. The floor was littered with bones. A magnified dripping noise sounded from near the couch, where a figure lay.

"Uninvited guests!" an oily, creaky voice shrieked as the figure sprang up and moved toward them. It was a hunched old man who looked like half of his face had been nibbled away by rats.

Ruby squealed, hiding her face against Emerald's shoulder. As predicted, this only encouraged the old man to focus on her, cackling right in her ear and following as Emerald hurriedly marched them out of the room.

Next was a hallway with holes in the walls. Faces grimaced and screamed while hands swiped the air just above their heads. The kitchen was full of fake organs and was manned by blood-drenched cooks, who wielded butcher knives and tried ushering the two into a giant oven. After navigating a stairway of whispers and a basement filled with ghouls that jumped from behind every other piece of furniture, they came to the last hallway and Ruby dared to look up.

"Look, there's the ex-EEP!"

Just behind them, the sound of a revving chainsaw ripped through their eardrums, prompting them to bolt forward. The sound, combined with running, booted feet, followed them to the exit. They didn't stop running until they were several yards away. Emerald looked over her shoulder in time to see a man in a hockey mask backing into the shadows.

"That…was…awesome…" Ruby panted.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "How would you know? You didn't see any of it." She shook her head, unable to keep from smiling fondly. "Come on. Let's get some food. Then, we can do the hayride."

Ruby perked up, previous fear already forgotten. "Okay!"

A few minutes later, the two walked toward the hayride, Ruby scarfing the last of her dozen pumpkin cookies, Emerald sipping from her cup of warm spiced cider. Ruby ran ahead, stopping by the front of the cart, where an older man was sitting. Emerald walked up as Ruby nodded at the man and went around the front to where the horse was.

It was a large, black horse with an alert look in its eyes. It nickered softly when Ruby approached.

"Hey, Monty," Ruby said, holding out her hand. "They're not working you too hard, huh boy?"

Monty snuffled Ruby's hand, licking a few crumbs from her palm.

Ruby giggled. "Silly boy."

Emerald watched Ruby, her expression softening involuntarily. Ever since she had met this quirky, energetic girl, she found herself smiling more and more often. A large part of that came from the fact that Ruby was just such a happy person. She found joy in anything, from warm cookies, to enduring a haunted house, to a horse licking her hand.

Ruby felt her girlfriend's gaze and looked over at her. Seeing a rare smile on Emerald's face, she immediately returned it with one of her own. "Come on, Em! He doesn't bite."

Emerald's face flushed when she realized that Ruby had caught her staring, but still walked over. The horse immediately noticed her cup and leaned closer, sniffing hopefully. "Whoa, there," Emerald laughed, holding the cup away. "No drinking on the job, buddy."

Monty snorted and tossed his head, eliciting a laugh from Ruby.

Emerald patted the horse's shoulder. "Come on. Looks like people are getting on."

The two took a seat near the front of the cart and waited for the other people to get on. A few children kneeled on the hay bales, peering excitedly around while their parents held onto them. Ruby smiled, snuggling into Emerald's side as the cart started moving.

For the next few minutes, the two were silent. Just the sounds of clopping hooves, the roll of the cart, the falling leaves, and the excited children were enough. Emerald watched the fields of the farm steadily pass by as the cart circled the property at a slow, relaxed pace. She wrapped an arm around Ruby while resting her head on top of hers, breathing in the familiar scent of strawberries and rose petals.

As they neared the starting point of the ride, Ruby suddenly sat up, jolting Emerald upright. "Oooh! A haunted corn maze! That wasn't here last year. Em, can we-?"

"No," Emerald replied flatly. "Let's just not, okay?" When Ruby pouted, she couldn't resist pecking her forehead. "I'd like to have _some_ feeling in my arm by the end of the day."

Ruby sighed. "Oh, fine. But we're going in the bounce house. That's non-negotiable!"

Emerald sighed, hugging Ruby close with one arm once they were off the cart. "You drive a hard bargain, but okay." Though going into a children's bounce house at the age of seventeen would be borderline humiliating, she decided she could endure it if Ruby kept smiling at her like that for the rest of the day.

 **I decided to name the horse Monty, because why not? Anyway, I seriously love writing these two. I've said this before, but I honestly think that Gemstone is a very possible endgame in canon, due to Ruby's interest in Emerald in Volume 3 and the fact that Emerald is the most likely villain to be redeemed (in my opinion).**

 **In the spirit of National Coming Out Day, I am pan, poly, and genderqueer. It's not exactly a secret, but I'm proud to say it. I hope all of you out there are proud of whoever you are.**

 **Until tomorrow, peace out!**


	3. Picking Pumpkins

**Hello, everyone! This fic takes us back to the canon-verse, and a bit into the past, when Summer was still around. You know what that means: Little Yang and Ruby! As if they weren't cute enough already. Enjoy!**

Yang sprinted toward the pumpkin patch, followed by a stumbling Ruby. "Yang!" the toddler called. "Wait up!"

Summer watched the two with a fond smile, leaning contentedly against Taiyang's side. His warm, calloused hand softly rubbed her shoulder. "Don't run too fast, you two," she called. "The ground is uneven, and there are lots of roots and stems."

Yang stopped running and pouted. "But Mom, I gotta find the biggest one so it'll scare all the Grimm away on Grimm Night."

Taiyang laughed. "Don't worry, sweetie. It's not the size of the pumpkin that scares the Grimm. It's how scary the face is."

"I can make a scary face!" Ruby scrunched her nose. "Grr!"

"You look like you're about to sneeze," Yang teased.

"Do not!" Ruby stomped a tiny foot, folding her arms.

Summer walked over, gently ruffling her daughters' hair. "Take it easy, you two. Whatever you get, Daddy will give them the best faces ever."

"I get my own this year," Ruby reminded her. "You promised."

"That's right." Summer kissed her forehead. "I also promised we can feed the goats afterward, so you'd better find your pumpkins."

The girls needed no more prompting to start trekking through the patch. They remembered Summer's words and refrained from running, though Ruby still tripped several times.

Summer sat on a bench to watch the two while Taiyang went to buy some snacks from the food tent nearby. Yang was going from pumpkin to pumpkin, holding out her small arms to see how wide each one was. Ruby was looking around, tugging at the strings of her red hoodie, a thoughtful look on her young face.

Taiyang sat down next to Summer, bearing a paper bag and four cups. "Cider for the girls, mulled wine for us. Don't stain your cloak." He pecked her cheek as he handed her a cup of warm, dark-purple wine.

"Too bad Qrow isn't here," Summer commented as she took a sip. The wine was a little spicy, and had been mixed with apple juice.

"Nah. This stuff isn't strong enough for him," Taiyang snorted as he took a swig from his cup.

"Guys!" Yang called over. "I found it!"

"Coming!" Taiyang put his cup down and walked toward Yang, who was standing by a pumpkin that was almost as big as she was. "Wow, that's a good one. Do you think you can lift it?"

"Uh huh!" Yang tried to pick up the pumpkin, groaning when it didn't budge. "Wait, wait!" She waved her hand at her dad as he moved forward to grab it. "I got it!" She tried wrapping her arms around the pumpkin and lifting it. Again, it didn't move.

"Why don't you let me carry it?" Taiyang suggested. "I wouldn't want you hurting your muscles."

"I'm strong enough!" Yang protested.

"Not yet, sweetie," Taiyang said gently. "But you will be. You just need to keep exercising and eating healthily."

"Is candy healthy?"

"During Grimm Night, it is," Taiyang assured her.

Summer looked around, frowning when she didn't spot Ruby. "Ruby?" she called.

"Oh, she's over there," Yang shouted, pointing to the left.

Summer followed Yang's finger, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw Ruby a few yards away. She had strayed from the main patch and was wandering through a smaller patch of white ghost pumpkins.

She looked up as Summer approached. "Mommy, I want this one." She was pointing at the largest of the ghost pumpkins, which was smaller than any of the regular pumpkins.

"Are you sure you want that one?" Summer asked. "It's not very big."

Ruby shrugged. "Yang's already getting the biggest one. I want this one, because it's the same color as your cloak." She tugged on Summer's cloak, holding the cloth near the pumpkin to emphasize her point. "Dad'll make it scary. You said so."

Summer's heart warmed and she bent down to pick up Ruby, kissing her cheek. "Well, let's go tell the farmer which ones we want. Then, we'll feed those goats."

"I wanna feed the brown one," Ruby said. "He's my favorite." She patted her hoodie. "I got corn in my pockets for him."

"You're always prepared," Summer replied. "Also, I think Daddy got some cookies, but I'm sure you're not hungry."

"I am, I am!" Ruby gasped. "I'm starving!"

Summer chuckled as she returned to the others. Yang was still trying and failing to lift her chosen pumpkin. Taiyang was watching her, shaking his head at her stubbornness. Ruby giggled, pointing out that the pumpkin was probably big enough for her to hide in.

Looking at her family in that moment, Summer wished that she could make the day last forever.

 **Well, baby Ruby will give everyone diabeetus if the candy doesn't. See ya'll tomorrow. Peace out!**


	4. Sugar Rush (Team Sloth, Arkos)

**So, this is a shorter one, and is late. That's because I had to work a 6-2 shift yesterday (and another one in like an hour), had to watch a neighbor's dog, and was running on one hour of sleep for most of the day. I didn't actually get home for good till 7, and was pretty quick to fall asleep. Anyway, I wrote the first few paragraphs of this during my break, because it was basically the opposite of the tiredness I was feeling at the time. Enjoy!**

The members of Team JNPR watched silently as a noisy pink blur zipped from wall to wall. Jaune and Pyrrha had expressions of horrified fascination on their faces, while Ren was simply resigned to their fate. That fate was dealing with a sugar-high Nora.

"And then Yang dared me to eat five more things of candy powder, and I was like 'Puh-lease, I can eat like twenty of those,' and she was like 'Oh yeah?' and I was like 'Yeah!' and she was like 'Oh yeah?' and I was like 'Yeah!' and she was like…"

"When does it stop?" Jaune whispered, his eyes wide.

"Is she even breathing?" Pyrrha wondered, unsure of whether she should stand near her teammate in case she suddenly collapsed.

"Just wait," Ren muttered, leaning back against his headboard. "She'll crash in an hour at most. A few minutes, if we're lucky."

"What's in an hour? What are we doing? Are we going to a Grimm Night party? I love parties! I'm ready to dance! Come on, Jaune! Dance with me!"

"I'm fi-YEOWCH!" Jaune shouted as Nora yanked him off the bed and spun him around the room. He broke away, barely avoiding a lamp, and landed facedown with a grunt on Pyrrha's bed.

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, gently ruffling his hair.

Jaune groaned. "That depends. Are arms supposed to stay _in_ the sockets at all times?"

Ren sat up, looking calmly toward his bouncing partner. After a few more minutes of babbling, he spoke up. "Okay, Nora. Time to sit down."

"Aw, you're no fun. Why don't we go for a hike? I love hikes!"

"You're shaking, Nora," Ren said. "You're about to crash."

"Am not!" Nora protested before she was cut off with a wide yawn. "Uh, wait! That didn't prove anything!"

"Right." Ren held out an arm. "Come on."

Nora paused, her pride warring with her ever-present desire to snuggle with Ren. Of course, the latter won out and she bounded to the bed, scooting close to him and resting her cheek on his chest with a contented sigh.

"Is it over?" Jaune, who hadn't moved from his position, asked. "Or should I keep playing dead just to make sure?"

Pyrrha chuckled, nudging him until he was lying on his back. "You're so dramatic," she murmured.

Ren shook his head. "See what you did, Nora? You're making the others scared of you."

"That's fine," Nora replied with another yawn, wrapping an arm around Ren's middle. "Everyone should have a healthy fear of me."

" _Everyone_?" Ren nuzzled a kiss into her hair.

Nora blushed. "Well, you're the exception."

"I'm flattered." Ren smiled. "Now, what did we learn about eating too much candy at once?"

"Uh, try for twenty-five things of powder next time?"

"Oh, Dust no!" Jaune shouted, pulling a blanket over his head.

The others laughed. Pyrrha hugged Jaune's blanketed form, giggling when he peeked out just enough to kiss her cheek.

"You guys are way too cute," Nora said, smiling sleepily at the two.

Jaune, wrapped an arm around Pyrrha's shoulders. "Sorry Nora, but I think you have us beat in that department."

"I have to agree." Pyrrha looked over at Nora with a wink. "Terrifying, though you may sometimes be."

"Hm. They're not scared enough." Nora grinned up at Ren. "I should eat twice as much on Grimm Night, just to be sure!"

Ren rolled his eyes, pecking the tip of her nose, which caused her to blush and hide her face against his chest. He chuckled fondly. "Boop."

Nora mumbled a shy "I love you too!" into his shirt, then yawned once more. A few minutes later, she was sleeping soundly with a smile on her face.

Pyrrha glanced at Ren, noticing a rare, soft expression on his face. "Well, now I see why you don't mind her sugar-highs."

Ren nodded. "Yeah. There are some benefits." He rested his head on top of Nora's, closing his eyes, trying not to think about how much worse her next sugar rush would probably be.

 **Nora purposefully gets high on sugar so she can cuddle with Ren afterward. That is now canon. *nods* I'll see you later with my next update, if I don't fall asleep early again. Peace out!**


	5. Story Night

**It seems that I screwed up when posting. That's what I get for trying to update stuff at 3 in the morning right after waking up. Apparently, I posted a chapter of my long-running fic, "Once in a Shattered Moon," instead of Chapter 4 of this. Well, I corrected that and give you another chapter for today. Enjoy!**

The spicy smell of fallen leaves melded with the smoke of bonfires somewhere in the distance. An overtone of crisp coolness in the air was the final touch that made a scent which perfectly embodied the season. Feet, no matter how light, crunched dry grass and leaves with every step. Squirrels scampered between trees, and the wind was a constant background noise.

Fox couldn't have asked for a better day.

He was walking around the grounds of Beacon behind the school, where fewer people liked to hang out. They preferred the sunlight and well-trimmed look of the courtyard. For Fox, of course, such things didn't factor. The weather was too cool for the sun to make much of a difference in warming the skin, and he liked the way the tall grass felt against his legs.

He reached into his pocket, taking out a small plastic bag of gummy Ursai. Even though he had never been one for Trick or Treating, he did appreciate that the days surrounding Grimm Night never failed to lower the price of candy. Popping one into his mouth, he recognized the flavor of artificial strawberry and smiled.

The sound of soft footfalls came to his attention. "Hey, Velvet."

The steps faltered. "It's really amazing how you do that," Velvet murmured, her gentle voice tinged with surprise. "Even in the grass, you can tell?"

"Everyone has a certain way that they walk," Fox explained. "It's as unique as someone's face would be to you." He held out the bag. "Gummy?"

"Thanks." Velvet took a candy. "I figured you'd be out here. Coco wants us all back at the dorm."

"How come?"

"She found this site that is basically nothing but scary stories, and wants to sit around listening to them. I'm making hot cider."

Fox smiled. He knew that Coco had thought of listening to scary stories for his sake, since horror movies were nothing more than a collection of screams and breathing noises as far as he was concerned. Still, he was skeptical. "Are they actually scary?"

"They're supposed to be submitted by people who actually had these things happen to them. That adds some scariness to it, doesn't it?"

"It does," Fox admitted. "When does she want us there?"

"About an hour."

"In that case, I'll head into town to get an extra snack for us. I've been craving pumpkin rolls lately."

"That sounds wonderful! I'll see you then."

Fox nodded and turned in the direction of town. Velvet hadn't asked if he needed someone to walk with him, and he was glad. It reminded him that his friends had faith in his abilities and independence, despite his blindness.

An hour later, he walked into the dorm room, trying not to drool too obviously at the smell of pumpkin, cinnamon, and frosting that came from the package he carried. When he smelled hot cider, he sighed happily.

"Hey, Foxy!" Coco called. "Ready to be terrified?"

"I don't scare easily, but let's see what we got."

The snacks were passed around and Team CFVY sat around Coco's Scroll. She had insisted on sitting on the floor and surrounding themselves with pillows and blankets to make the experience more authentic. Fox savored a slice of pumpkin roll and blew on his cup of cider.

" _It was past midnight, and my brother, his wife, and I were walking home from the annual fireworks show my town puts on every summer. There were other people around, but our route to my place was a bit more secluded. We had to cut around the elementary school and walk up a long path through a mostly-asleep neighborhood."_

"Secluded neighborhood. Cliché much?" Fox muttered.

 _There was a narrow path that led around the elementary school from the playground. It was two feet wide, with the wall on one side, and a fence bordering thick bushes on the other. We were the only ones walking down that path."_

"Dun dun DUN!" Coco said ominously.

" _I went first, eyes focused on the other side. Just as I was exiting, however, I came face to face with another person who was just about to enter the path. Or, should I say, face to sack? I was looking up at a person whose face was hidden. A sack or pillowcase with just one eye hole cut in was over his or her head."_

Velvet shivered. "That's just creepy."

" _The person looked at me before stepping onto the path. I waited, breath held, until my brother and his wife emerged. They both looked at me nervously, and we were quick to start walking home. I kept glancing back over my shoulder, wondering if the weirdo would suddenly come back and chase us. There was nothing. Then, as we rounded a corner, something touched the back of my brother's wife's neck."_

The team waited.

"… _It was my brother. He thought it would be funny to sneak up behind his wife and poke her. She jumped about a foot in the air! The sack-headed weirdo didn't show up again, but I can guarantee that my brother slept alone on the couch that night."_

Coco laughed. "Okay, that was pretty tame. Wanna get to the ones with the clowns?"

"Uh, could we skip the clowns?" Yatsuhashi asked.

The team continued to talk and laugh throughout the night as they listened to story after story. For Fox, however, the sound of his friends' voices far surpassed any narrated story Coco's Scroll had to tell.

 **The story told here is actually something that happened to me, down to my brother being a jerk at the end. I never found out what became of Pillowcase Guy, as I call him. It was freaking weird, though! If you ever want to listen to some spooky stories that supposedly actually happened, I'd recommend Mr. Nightmare's channel on Youtube. Anyway, see you tomorrow. Peace out!**


	6. Tracking in the Night

**Yes, I know I skipped two days. I'm sorry! When I gave myself this challenge, it was before I saw my work schedule. One of my coworkers broke her toes, and the boss had me working some crazy hours, which led to me just falling asleep and not writing anything. To make up for it, I'll type two shots today and two tomorrow. That way, I'll be caught up. Enjoy!**

The night was silent, as if every living thing in the area knew on a subconscious level that there was a killer stalking through the trees. Thankfully for them, this hunter's quarry wasn't a regular animal. It was a fellow monster.

The hunter was as pale as the moon, with hair like snow and eyes the color of a frozen mist. A black cloak shrouded her form. Every now and then, she would taste the air, revealing two sharp fangs trying to peek out past her lips. She sniffed, searching for the combination of blood, cat fur, and magic that made up the scent of her enemy.

Just behind her, cloaked in a black shroud similar to hers, was her human servant. Silver eyes darted nervously from shadow to shadow.

"Mistress Weiss?" a tiny voice whispered. "Are you sure we shouldn't have brought more people?"

Weiss sighed. They were still a half mile from their destination, so she refrained from scolding her young servant for speaking. "If this was a pack of werewolves, I would have. This is different, Ruby. Werecats require stealth and surprise if we want to make the kill."

"Do we have to kill it?" Ruby wondered. "I mean, I know vampires don't like weres, but they're still people."

"This one forfeited its right to live when it invaded our territory," Weiss explained. "It's impossible to keep one prisoner, and driving it off will only lead to it coming back later. No more questions. Just keep your weapon handy, and don't let it bite you."

The two traveled for a while longer in relative silence: Weiss making no sounds, Ruby making the occasional noise. She was only a human, and couldn't be expected to have the same skill as her mistress, after all.

When they neared a moonlit clearing, Weiss held up her hand. A growl rose in her throat as she finally detected the smell that had been eluding them..

At first, there was nothing. Then, she heard a single soft, velvety footfall. She tensed, and felt the creature in the distance do the same. _It knows we're here…_

She caught a brief flash of glowing amber eyes. Rage filled her. _It's letting me see it on purpose. It's taunting me!_

Her hand clenched on her saber, but she kept from leaping forward right away. _Be calm. Wait for the right moment._ She glanced over her shoulder, reminding herself that she had her servant to consider. While a good fighter, Ruby was still vulnerable. With one bite, she would become an enemy to Weiss and her family, and would have to be killed.

She turned back toward the shadows. The eyes were gone, and the scent was everywhere. The werecat had clearly been marking the area to make it harder to track her specific movements. Weiss hissed, standing up fully. There was no point in hiding anymore. For a few minutes, she simply waited.

A rush of air was her only warning before the creature struck. Weiss spun around, swinging her saber at the dark shape. She cursed when it darted away and sprang into the thick branches of a nearby tree. She felt Ruby's back pressed against hers, and the two looked desperately for where the beast would leap from.

A snarl came from in front of Ruby, and she rushed forward, swinging above her head with her sword. The branches shook as the beast jumped over the human girls' head and directly onto the back of her blood rival.

Weiss let out a piercing shriek as sharp claws sank into her back. She spun around, trying to dislodge her attacker, feeling trails of blood seeping through her clothes. Hot breath buffeted her neck and sharp teeth sank into her shoulder.

Ruby rushed over, shouting in fury as she stabbed at the beast, which leaped from her mistress's back and landed on the ground.

For a moment, silver eyes were locked on two pools of amber. She could see the shape of a dark, feline figure that was larger than any mountain lion she had ever killed. The two looked at each other for what felt like an eternity. Ruby moved slowly to the side, planting herself firmly between the werecat and her struggling mistress.

The werecat blinked, then turned away. A sound similar to a sigh shook the grass. Then, it was gone.

Ruby sheathed her sword and helped Weiss to her feet. "Come on, Mistress. Let's get you to the castle."

Throughout the return journey, the two defeated hunters were positive that they could see two burning, golden eyes watching their retreating backs.

 **I thought I'd delve into AU-land a bit more, and what better than a good old fight between two monsters? I thought of a scenario where Weiss was a vampire, with Ruby as her servant. The werecat, if you haven't guessed, is Blake. I see this as an AU where, instead of Faunus, there are weres. During the day, they look like humans with animal features. At night, awesome werebeasts! I might play more with this AU in the future. For now, I hope you liked this. See you in the next chapter!**


	7. Aquaphobia (Kid Seamonkeys)

**I think it's about time for our favorite dorks to get some spotlight. I actually went looking for prompts to come up with an idea, and the one that hit me was the one where two characters are Trick or Treating, but one has to keep holding onto the other because they're scared. This is in a Modern AU, and Sun and Neptune are nine or ten-ish. Enjoy!**

Sun groaned when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around him for the tenth time that night. "Dude, not cool." He resisted the urge to straighten his Monkey King costume, knowing that his best friend would probably grab him again in a few minutes. "If you bend my tail, I'm gonna be mad."

Neptune was trembling as he stared at the next house. His store-bought cop costume (complete with a fake mustache) had strips of glow-in-the-dark tape all over it, courtesy of his mother. Sun had blatantly told him that he looked he had fallen into a web of police tape. "I swear I saw something moving in the woods."

"Yeah. It was probably another grown-up in a costume trying to scare us," Sun replied, giving his best friend a deadpanned look. "You know they love doing that. Stop being lame, and let's go."

"I'm just saying. What if some crazy person is actually hiding there with a knife?" Neptune muttered as he walked with Sun up the driveway, still holding onto his arm.

"I'll feed you to him and run for it."

"Hey!"

"Kidding." Sun rolled his eyes as they got onto the porch. "Let go of my arm and hold out your bag, dummy."

The door opened to reveal a man in a Dracula costume. He grinned at the two. "Velcome, children!" he said in a terrible Transylvanian accent.

Obligingly, the kids opened their bags and said: "Trick or Treat!"

The man dropped a handful of candy into each bag and wished them a happy Halloween. The boys peered at their loot as they walked back toward the sidewalk.

"Nice! He had boxes of Milk Duds." Sun nodded in approval. "And candy bars. Usually, the people who give out handfuls are the ones who get the stupid discount candy."

"I got Twizzlers. Wanna trade?"

The two continued walking from house to house, Neptune repeatedly clinging to Sun and Sun rolling his eyes, but not making any real effort to force his friend off. Finally, they reached the house that Neptune had been dreading the most.

It didn't have anything unusually-scary by way of decoration, and the owners didn't even dress up to spook the kids. No, what Neptune feared was on the front lawn: an in-ground swimming pool. Because of the warm season, it hadn't been covered up. The night lights caused the six-foot deep, blue expanse to shine like a horrifying beacon.

Sun glanced at his friend and spoke in a gentle tone that he hadn't used throughout the night. "We can skip this one if you want to."

Neptune shook his head. "N-No. They h-hand out whole b-bars, I heard. I'm n-not scared."

Sun wasn't buying it. "I'll go to the door and get two."

This, of course, only made Neptune more adamant. "I'm going with you!"

Sun frowned, glancing at the walk leading up to the house. "Okay. Just walk on this side of the path. I'll walk on the side closest to the pool." This time, he offered his arm willingly. "You can close your eyes if you want."

Neptune smiled weakly, hugging Sun's arm and shutting his eyes. They walked slowly up the path, and he tried desperately to not think of the awful, wet abyss that was just a few feet away. Instead, he took comfort in the feel of Sun's arm and the sound of his much-calmer breathing.

They got to the door, and Sun rang the bell. Neptune reluctantly let go of his arm, looking pointedly away from the pool behind them. Thankfully, the house did deliver on the large candy bars. The boys even got two each, since the night was nearly over.

The walk back down the path was slow and silent, Neptune hugging Sun's arm for comfort. He didn't relax until they were safely back on the sidewalk. His shoulders slumped and he let out a long breath of relief. "Thanks, dude," he muttered.

Sun grinned easily. "No problem." He paused. "You can let go of my arm now, you know."

Neptune shook his head, feeling his cheeks growing warm. "Um, I thought I saw something behind that bush over there…"

Sun glanced over his shoulder. Nothing was there, of course. Still, he didn't say anything else about Neptune's clinginess for the rest of the night.

 ***squee* Little baby Seamonkeys are the best! Ahem, I like the idea of Sun being really supportive of Neptune whenever he's suffering from his aquaphobia. I hope that, if Nep gets more development, his fear won't just be used for comedic effect. Speaking as someone who, until recently, couldn't even look at photos of wasps or bees, I can tell you that phobias are actually pretty sucky to deal with.**

 **Anyway, praise Monty and peace out!**


	8. Freak Show (Black Sun)

**Sorry, sorry! I was hardly able to use the computer yesterday. I obviously failed the drabble-a-day challenge, but I have planned out what I want to do for the rest of the chapters, so things should go smoother now.**

 **So, freak shows are a thing that are often used in the horror genre, whether to add an element of grotesqueness or tragedy. I decided to play with that here. In this AU, Faunus are mostly extinct, and those few that remain are either outcast from society, or put into freak shows. Enjoy!**

The times right before and after a performance were always the worst moments for Sun (or, as he was called by the ringmaster, "The Incredible Monkey Boy). That was when he was stuck in his cage, waiting for what came next, whether it was his performance or one of his two daily meals. During this time, curious onlookers came up to him. Some would throw peanuts at him. Others would try to feed him parts of their corndogs. Some dared their friends to grab his tail.

He hated them all, except for one.

During a week-long show in Vale, he noticed that one onlooker wasn't quite like the others. She didn't throw anything, or try to get him to do tricks, or laugh at him. She didn't even give him those pitying looks that he loathed almost more than the jeers. No, she just watched him with deep, amber eyes.

There was something about those eyes. It was like, with one look, that girl knew what he was going through, knew what he was suffering. She didn't pity him. She didn't fear him. She understood him.

She was at every show. He saw her at the back of the jeering crowds before and after he went on stage. He managed to spot her in the audience between tumbles, flips, and dodging thrown banana peels. She was either watching him with that same intent expression, or glaring at the hecklers with a look that could melt steel bars. She always looked the same: black hair, black bow, black and dark purple clothes. Among colorful fairgoers, she was easy to spot.

On the third day, he saw her in the front row as the curtain rose. He jumped around the stage in a rare show of enthusiasm, determined to look as good as possible. People shouted and whooped. When someone threw a banana, he managed to catch it and take a bite before throwing it right back. This resulted in a mix of angry shouts and laughter, depending on who did or didn't get hit.

Then, his eyes fell on a flower. It must have been thrown during one of the previous shows. He wondered which of the freaks was well-liked enough to warrant a flower being thrown. Still, it gave him an idea.

The finale of his act involved doing several flips, making faces at the audience, and landing on his head. This time, as he ran around the stage, he picked up the flower with his tail. He twirled and did a somersault, landing right at the edge of stage in front of the girl. Grinning, he held out the flower.

The girl blinked at him, then reached out to take it. Her warm fingers ever-so-lightly brushed his tail, and he blushed. Quickly, sensing the ringmaster's angry eyes on him, he did a backflip and landed perfectly on his head. A mix of applause and jeers hit him like a wave.

After the show, he was forced to endure a long, tedious berating from his ringmaster, who ranted about "Not touching the audience" and how some people would be too "disgusted" to return thanks to him. He didn't get any food that night. When the crowd came, he almost took one of the half-eaten pieces of fair food that were shoved in his face.

Later on, he finally tried to talk to her. The crowd had tapered off, bored with his lack of reaction to their taunts, and he moved close to the bars. "Hey," he called.

The girl approached immediately, as if she had been waiting for him to say something. "Hey." She glanced over her shoulder before adding in a hushed voice: "Are you okay?"

"Better than usual, thanks to you." Sun winked. "You've been at every show since I got here. It's a pity we can't take you with us."

The girl frowned. "So…you like it here?" Her voice was full of doubt.

Sun blinked. His tail drooped, and he sighed. "Where else can someone like me go?" He wrapped his tail around one of the bars. "I'm a freak."

"You're not a freak. You're a Faunus."

"Same difference," Sun sighed. "A dying race that looks like they're part animal."

"Not dying. Just hidden." The girl touched his hand. "Meet me by the entrance at midnight. I'll get you out of here."

Sun gaped at her, wondering if he was dreaming. He leaned close, grasping her hand. The fleeting warmth he felt when her fingers had brushed his tail came back in full force. He tightened his grip, desperate to keep the feeling for as long as possible.

Then, he felt something cold on his palm. He blinked, his heart speeding up. The girl withdrew her hand, and he clutched the cold thing she had placed there. "What's your name?"

For the first time, the girl smiled. Sun knew in that moment that he would do anything to see that smile every day. "Blake. You?"

"Sun." He watched as the girl walked into the crowd and vanished behind another tent. He didn't dare open his hand to look at the key, just in case someone happened to pass by. He just sat in the corner of his cage, holding it to his chest.

The thrown objects and shouted insults had no effect on him that night. All that mattered was midnight, a pair of amber eyes, and his freedom.

 **That was a fun one. I'll try and get the others out in a little while. Peace out!**


	9. Masquerade (Freezerburn)

**And we move on to another horror movie trope: the masquerade. I may or may not have had Phantom music playing on repeat while typing this. Enjoy!**

Weiss walked down the stairs to the ballroom. A white and blue gown with rhinestones embroidered just above her collarbone glittered in the light. At the bottom of the dress, the skirt was made to look like swan feathers, just delicately brushing the surface of the dance floor. The top half of her face was hidden by a simple, elegant mask of pale blue. She nodded in the direction of her father as she entered, and then proceeded to mingle.

Though her father had never been one for costumes or celebrations, the Halloween Masquerade at the Schnee mansion was such a tradition in the community, it would look bad if he was to be the one to end it. Weiss was glad. She had always enjoyed the event.

There was an air of mystery to the dance, which was absent from other such evenings. Hidden behind masks, people were more likely to be open, more likely to act a little more like themselves than they would at some formal ball. Even Weiss, whose identity was a secret to no one, still found it easier to talk and laugh with the guests than it normally would have been.

Another thing that made this party special was the fact that anyone with formal wear and a mask could attend, not just the elite people her father tended to rub shoulders with. That meant that Weiss was likely to meet several people from town, people she otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to meet due to her father's strict rules concerning who she befriended.

The orchestra played song after song. Some were slow, encouraging intimate closeness between pairs. Others were quick and caused groups to dance together, letting loose their hair joyfully.

Weiss moved freely across the dance floor, sometimes joining gathered crowds of dancers, other times allowing some stranger to sweep her into a dance. At one point, she danced with a blue-clad young man who had a tendency to trip over his own feet. Too happy to be annoyed, she took the lead, and by the end, he had entirely forgotten that he was dancing with an heiress, and was even laughing at his own clumsiness.

She was taking a break by the punch bowl when two young ladies came in through the front doors. One was wearing a cloak and a mask of silver, and kept fussing with her dress. The other nearly caused Weiss to drop her cup.

Tall and gorgeous, this woman had the air of someone who could easily overpower anyone with a mere look. She wore a sleeveless, pale yellow gown that was outshone by her golden hair. The mask she wore was also gold, and had a pattern drawn on it to suggest scales. She wore a matching cape, which perfectly resembled dragon wings.

Weiss watched as the two approached the dance floor, the dragon girl obviously encouraging her younger companion. She caught a glimpse of lavender eyes and a kindly smile, and decided in that moment that she would have at least one dance with this girl by the end of the night.

The orchestra started playing a faster-paced song, so Weiss finished her punch and walked toward the dance floor. The newcomers were dancing on their own at the moment, but several onlookers had stopped to stare at the dragon girl, who was twirling and laughing as if she didn't have a care in the world.

This caused Weiss to hesitate for a moment, just a few feet away. This girl had such life and passion in her. That was obvious, simply judging by her movements. Could someone as prim and rigid as Weiss enter such a world, even while wearing a mask?

She didn't have to think too deeply, however, because the girl turned and caught her eye in the next second. Lavender eyes blinked, then a wide grin spread across the girl's face. "Don't be shy! Get over here!"

Weiss's cheeks flushed. She paused for only another moment before stepping forward and joining the dance. The younger girl flashed her a friendly smile.

"So, you're the heiress, huh?" the dragon girl asked. "Don't worry. We won't hold it against you." She winked, which only made Weiss blush deeper.

"I prefer Weiss over 'the heiress,'" Weiss replied, smiling to take the sting from her words. "What are your names?"

The younger girl introduced herself as Ruby, while the dragon girl was Yang. For a while, the three simply enjoyed the music. Then, a slower song came on, causing them to pause.

"And, I'm out," Ruby said, turning and walking toward the punch bowl. "I don't do slow dances. See you guys later!"

Yang waved before holding her hand out toward Weiss, tilting her head hopefully. "I promise not to step on your feet."

Weiss chuckled as she took her hand. "You wouldn't be the first if you did."

As Weiss placed her gloved hand on Yang's shoulder, she was stunned at the heat she felt seeping through the cloth. While her own body was naturally cool, this girl seemed to be practically burning. When Yang grasped her other hand and put a gentle palm on her waist, the warmth enveloped her completely.

Yang was not a particularly skilled dancer, but Weiss didn't care. Just being close to her new friend and seeing that contagious grin and those shining lavender eyes was enough. When the dance ended (with no stepped-on toes), both girls were reluctant to back away.

"So…" Yang rubbed the back of her neck, her cocky grin becoming a little bashful. "Can I call dibs on you for the next slow song?"

Weiss giggled, her cheeks turning pink again. "I think that can be arranged."

 **This was my first time doing Freezerburn. I hope you guys liked it!**

 **So, the Volume 4 poster will be on sale tomorrow. I'm looking at it, and a bunch of people are saying that it looks like Jaune is wearing part of Pyrrha's outfit as a sash. I can't tell by looking at the image, but SCREW MY FEELS IF IT'S TRUE! I started crying just thinking about it! More proof that I'm definitely not ready. None of us are…**

 **Peace out!**


	10. Jumping in Leaves (Kid Team Sloth)

**Well, I gave you some kid Seamonkeys. Let's do some kid Team Sloth now! I think it's actually impossible to get enough of this pairing. They are too freaking pure for this world! *hugs Ren and Nora* Stay away, Rooster Teeth! You will not hurt these babies! Anyway, this takes place in canon while Ren and Nora are still kids at an orphanage. Enjoy!**

"Ren, Ren, Ren!"

Ren was awoken by a familiar weight bouncing up and down on his bed. He groaned, opening his eyes to see his best friend's way-too-chipper-for-this-time-of-morning face hovering over him. "Nora?" he replied calmly.

"Ren, the groundskeeper raked all the leaves while it was still dark! You know what that means?"

"We let him bag them and take them to the curb?" Ren replied, though he knew that wasn't the answer.

"Pfft, _no_! That's a waste of good leaves!" Nora shook her head. "Honestly, what would you do without me? Get up! We've got jumping to do!"

Ren let out a long-suffering sigh, then sat up. He knew that going back to bed was no longer an option. Watching Nora bounce around the room, he couldn't help but smile a little in spite of his tiredness. "Just let me get dressed first."

A few minutes later, Ren was trying to zip his coat while Nora dragged him to the door. The morning was young, the air was crisp, and dew sat on the grass. Several colorful piles of leaves sat around the yard.

"Dibs on this one!" Nora sprang forward and dived into the nearest pile. A second later, she came up, making a face. "Bleh, bleh!" She spat a leaf out. "These are wet!"

"Well, it _is_ still morning," Ren reasoned. "They don't get dry until the sun shines on them."

Nora groaned. "Uggghhhh. Does that mean we have to wait?"

Ren rolled his eyes. "Come on, Nora. Let's get some breakfast."

For the next few hours, Nora would repeatedly run outside, groan in frustration, and come back in to wait some more. Ren sat on the sofa, reading a book. Eventually, noticing how tired Nora was getting from running back and forth, he called her over.

"You were up early. Why don't you take a nap? I'm sure the leaves will be dry by the time you wake up."

Nora sighed, unable to resist the chance to cuddle with her best friend. "Okay." Curling up against Ren, she smiled at the warmth he provided. Looking up at his peaceful face, she reached up and tapped his nose. "Boop!"

Ren smiled gently at her. "Go to sleep."

Nora closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off. When she woke up, she was alone and the spot where Ren had been sitting was cold. _Oh no! Did I make him mad by running around and waking him up for nothing? Omigosh, he's totally going to never talk to me again, and-_

Then, she caught a glimpse of him through the window. Sitting up, she waved hopefully at him. He waved back and beckoned for her to come outside.

Forgetting her previous worries, Nora jumped off the couch and ran outside, stopping short and gasping at what she saw: Instead of several smaller piles, there was one massive pile of leaves sitting in the middle of the orphanage's lawn. Standing next to it, looking a bit tired, covered in leaves, was Ren.

"They're dry now," he said. "And I thought you'd like a big pile more than a lot of smaller-Oof!" The air left his body as Nora tackled him to the ground.

"Ren, you're the best friend ever! This is going to be so awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Nora," Ren gritted. "Air!"

Nora quickly jumped off. "Sorry! Come on, let's jump!" Pulling Ren to his feet, she ran to the other side of the lawn. "Ready?"

Ren groaned, holding his head. "I'm a bit lightheaded right n-"

"Let's go!" Nora bolted toward the leaves, leaping as high as she could. For a moment, she was suspended in the air. Then, she came down with a satisfying crunch on the pile. Leaves scattered everywhere as Nora rolled back and forth, laughing in a way that was borderline maniacal. A much quieter crunch signaled that Ren had jumped in right after her.

"Ren, that was the best! Let's do it again!" Nora sat up. "Ren?" She looked over and giggled. Ren had curled up in the leaves immediately after jumping, and was already fast asleep.

Checking to make sure no one was watching, Nora leaned over and pecked her best friend's cheek. "On second thought, maybe it's _your_ turn to take a nap." Picking up armfuls of leaves, Nora set about making a new pile while Ren continued to doze with a content smile on his face.

 **These two are way too cute! Also, I'm caught up again. Yay! After pumping out three drabbles in a row, doing one a day for the next three days will be simple. Then, as I'm not a sponsor, I will be avoiding the internet like the plague until after I have seen the episode on Sunday. Until tomorrow, peace out!**


	11. Lame College Parties (Dagorhir AU)

**So, for this one, I decided to do a little slice of life piece from my Dagorhir AU, introduced in "College Battle Games." In this AU, Jaune and Ruby live in Vale, near Beacon University, where Pyrrha, Weiss, and several others go. They're all part of a local Dagorhir group, which is an organization dedicated to wearing garb and fighting with foam weapons. This takes place after CBG. Jaune and the others are sophomores, and Ruby is a new freshman. Enjoy!**

"Surrender, villain!" Jaune shouted, brandishing a foam shield and swinging a blue sword. He wore his usual Dag outfit: brown pants, a green tunic, and a keychain of scale mail on a belt.

"Eat my blade, cur!" Ruby dodged her friend's attack and swung her two-handed red weapon at him. Black leggings, a gray tunic, and her favorite red cloak made up her costume.

Weiss rolled her eyes, adjusting the shawl on her fairy costume. "You don't have to swing those every time you wear garb. We're going to a party, not a battle." It was a week before Halloween, and one of the dorms was having an alcohol-free costume party. The group had decided that such an event would be a good experience for Ruby, who still had yet to experience a college party as an actual student.

Pyrrha chuckled as she watched the two. She, like Ruby and Jaune, had elected to wear her own garb: red tunic trimmed with gold, simple pants, and a brass-colored headpiece Jaune had given her for Christmas the previous year. "Oh, let them have their fun. With the weather getting colder, there will be fewer chances to fight outside."

"Red! Red!" Ruby hit Jaune's shield twice, then swung at his side.

Jaune stumbled, dramatically clutching his abdomen. "I have been slain. Arc Angel has fallen! My dear Ophelia will have to dance alone."

"Honestly, you are such a dork," Weiss murmured, shaking her head.

"Watch it, Ice Queen. That's _my_ dork you're referring to." Pyrrha playfully elbowed her roommate.

Weiss sighed, not bothering to refute the name their Dagorhir group had given her. It was every bit as useless as Ren trying to change his Dag name to anything but "Lotus Boy." "Either way, they should conserve their energy if they want to do any dancing."

"I've got energy," Ruby protested. "See?" She pulled handfuls of candy from her pockets. "You'll dance with me, right Weiss?" Her eyes shined hopefully.

Weiss's cheeks turned pink. "Well, we'll be there for an hour at least, so I'd say so."

Jaune and Pyrrha exchanged knowing looks as they continued walking toward the dorm building. They opened the door, revealing a packed common area covered with decorations. Ice buckets filled with canned soda littered the floor and a table of snacks had been set up. The lights had been dimmed, and several people were dancing in an open space that had been cleared up.

"Ooh, they're playing 'Thriller!'" Ruby grabbed Weiss's hand and pulled her toward the dance floor.

Pyrrha smiled, leaning into Jaune. "This was a good idea."

Jaune nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah. It's not one of Yang's clubs, but it works." He kissed her cheek and straightened her headpiece. "I can't wait till practice on Saturday. Barty said we'd be having a zombie battle."

"A perfect opportunity to use your skeleton voice," Pyrrha said, chuckling as she thought of her boyfriend's goofy, Skeletor-esque voice that he used during every zombie battle.

"Nyeh-heh-heh!" Jaune laughed. "The fleshies won't know what hit them!"

Pyrrha shook her head fondly, taking his arm and tugging him toward the dance floor. "Come on. Ruby and Weiss shouldn't have all the fun."

The next few minutes consisted of Jaune attempting to teach the others how to do the Thriller dance. Ruby knew some of the moves, but was unable to do the hip movements the way Jaune could.

"Where did you learn how to dance?" Weiss wondered.

"Well, having seven sisters forces you to learn some things," Jaune said, grinning sheepishly. When the dance ended, he was surprised when several nearby people cheered for him.

After some more dances, the four took a break by the candy bowl. Ruby, of course, was scarfing chocolate bars like a pro. Weiss gave her a disapproving look, but knew better than to try stopping her.

"So, what now?" Ruby wondered.

The others glanced at each other. The common room was relatively small, and the party honestly wasn't one that had many activities, or even a variety of songs.

"Go back outside and beat each other up?" Jaune suggested, holding up his sword.

Ruby grinned. "You know me so well!"

The rest of the evening saw the four on the lawn, taking turns with Jaune and Ruby's weapons. The sound of laughter and foam smacking against various limbs was easily more musical to their ears than any party beats ever could be.

 **Sorry this was a bit short. Work was hell today. I'll see you guys later with the next one! Peace out.**


	12. Dorm Decorations (Red Herb)

**Well, we're on our second-last of these fics. I hope to get the last one finished before 10, since I plan on avoiding the internet until after I've seen the premiere on Sunday. For this chapter, I decided to do a bit of Red Herb, because Scarlet and Sage need more screentime dammit! Enjoy!**

"A little higher… No, that's too high. We don't want it to be crooked." Scarlet stood in the middle of Team SSSN's room, head cocked as he looked ponderously at the half-decorated window.

Sun, standing on a chair and holding up one end of a string of orange and purple lights, groaned. "Come on, Scarlet. No one's gonna see but us."

Scarlet let out a long-suffering sigh. "First of all, you don't know that. Second of all, _some_ people in this room have standards. Right, Nep?"

Neptune looked up from a table of paper mache, rubber gloves, and paint. "Yeah. Crooked lights bug me."

"Your side is perfect, Sage," Scarlet continued. "Just hold it there. Sun, go just a bit… Yes! That's perfect."

Sun shook his head as he taped down the string. "Finally! I hope there aren't any more lights." He looked around the room, which had strings of purple, orange, green, and red lights over every door, window, and along each edge of the ceiling.

"That's the last string, but I do have these light-up Grimm masks we can put on our headboards." Scarlet took a shopping bag off of his bed. "I got one for each of us."

"I'll take a Nevermore, if you have it," Sage said, taping down his end of the lights and walking over to his partner, smiling gently at his enthusiasm.

"One Nevermore!" Scarlet handed Sage a mask. "Thanks for being patient with all this." Standing on his toes, he kissed his boyfriend's cheek.

"What? No kiss for me?" Sun teased.

"Ask Neptune."

"Huh?" Neptune looked up, cheeks flushing.

"Nothing, nothing. How are those zombie hands coming along?"

Neptune picked up one of the rubber gloves. "I just have a few more to go." He started blowing it up.

Sun watched, smirking, and waited patiently until the glove was mostly blown-up before asking: "Would what you're doing be defined as a handjob, or a blowjob?"

"PBBT!" Neptune sputtered as he burst out laughing, sending the glove flying.

Sage rolled his eyes. "Was that really necessary?"

"Uh, yes. Yes, it was." Sun folded his arms and nodded in a self-satisfied way. "Oh, Scarlet. I forgot to tell you I got some of those gel sticky things for the windows."

Scarlet's eyes lit up. "I knew you'd get into this! What did you get?" He took the bag Sun handed to him. "Ooh! Black cats, pumpkins, dripping blood… This is perfect! I knew I'd forgotten something."

Neptune blew up a rubber hand and started putting paper mache on it. "So, we have lights, gel window thingies, zombie hands… What else should we use?"

"Well, I was thinking we could get a fog machine, and-"

Sage patted Scarlet's shoulder. "Let's focus on what we can actually afford."

Scarlet pouted. "If we pooled our money together, we could-"

"No, Scarlet."

"Oh, fine. I guess we're good with what we have. What we should focus on next is what we'll be doing for costumes."

Sun sighed. "Do we really have to wear coordinated costumes?"

"Absolutely! It's our first Grimm Night as a team! This is part of the experience. What about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?" Scarlet grinned eagerly.

"That could be cool," Sun admitted. "And thank you for not suggesting the Maidens."

"Well, if we made masculine versions of their costumes…"

"Let's focus on the Horsemen," Sage interjected. "There's Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. Does anyone have any preferences?"

"Well, War has the red horse," Scarlet said. "So, I think I'd be best suited for that."

"Dibs on Death!" Sun said, raising his hand.

"Aw, I was gonna call dibs on that," Neptune whined. "Can't you be Famine?"

"Famine's the black horse, though. That's so not my color."

Scarlet took out his Scroll. "Ooh. Speaking of horses, I might be able to order some plushies if I could just find the right colors…"

Sun stared at him. "Dude, the Horsemen don't carry plushies."

"Well, if you know where to get four real horses, I'm all ears."

The four bickered good-naturedly for a little while longer before agreeing to take a break. Neptune placed the zombie hands on some newspapers to dry. Sun stuck on the last few window gels, smiling as the light shined through the fake blood drips. Scarlet flipped the switch for the light strings and curled up next to Sage, looking at the almost-finished room with a smile.

Sage rubbed Scarlet's shoulder, his heart warming at his partner's content expression. "We can go shopping for costume stuff tomorrow, if you want."

Scarlet scooted up to peck Sage's lips. "You read my mind!"

 **In other news, I finally made the decision to temporarily unfollow most of the RWBY people I follow on Tumblr. I want to enjoy the Volume 4 hype without seeing constant comments about how much Jaune sucks and how Team JNPR shouldn't be getting so much focus and blah blah blah. RWBY is something that makes me happy, even with the moments of betrayal (glares at the Volume 3 finale), and I want to enjoy it without seeing a tidal wave of negativity.**

 **As a side note, please don't post spoilers in reviews. I'm not a sponsor, and will not get to see the episode until the evening on Sunday, due to work. And if you're a writer, post spoiler warnings at the beginning of the synopsis if your fic is relevant to a recent thing that happened.**

 **Until later, peace out!**


	13. Talking to Ghosts

**I'M SORRY! I seriously tried to type something fluffy. I tried to come up with anything but this, but my brain wouldn't let me. It insisted on finishing this drabble series with this. Think of it as me preparing you for the feels storm that approaches.**

It is said that the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest during Grimm Night. According to legend, on the fabled night when the Grimm are stronger than ever, the ghosts of those who fought them return to protect their loved ones.

Jaune had never thought much of that superstition. There had never been any need to consider the dead or wonder about ghosts. Now, the dead occupied his mind daily, sometimes more often than the living.

"Hey, Pyrrha," he murmured, watching the leaves falling from the dark trees around him. "It's me again. Still not sure if you can hear me, but I guess you're most likely to tonight."

He looked at the ground. The others were setting up camp, and he had volunteered to patrol the surrounding area. "I hope you don't mind if I walk and talk at the same time."

Blue eyes carefully scanned the woods for signs of Grimm or other hostiles. "We fought some Nevermores yesterday," he continued in a forced conversational tone. "I used that one technique you taught me with my shield. You would've been proud." A nostalgic smile came to his face as he recalled those nights on the roof of Beacon. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Pyrrha's laughter echoed in his head, and he hurriedly wiped his eyes. "Remember Grimm Night last year? I was a vampire, you were a werewolf…" He thought back, chuckling a little. "Nora spilled fake blood everywhere…"

That was when it hit him. _A year._ Already, it was nearly a year since Pyrrha's death. A lump rose in his throat, and he gritted his teeth in agitation. "Dammit!" he hissed. "Why does this still hurt so much?"

A cool breeze ruffled his hair. Yet, strangely, his body felt warmer for a split second. He stopped walking, his eyes widening. "Pyrrha?"

The wind blew stronger, and a flurry of bright red leaves whipped up. They whirled around Jaune, tickling his face. One brushed across his lips. Then, the air grew calm and the leaves settled on the ground once again.

Tears trickled down Jaune's cheeks, but the smallest of smiles came to his face. "I'll take that as a yes." He took a shuddering breath, wiping his face on his sleeve as he tried to compose himself.

"I'd better get back to the others." He looked at the reddening sky. "I really miss you, Pyrrha. I…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Well, that's not important now. I'll give the others a hug for you."

He started back toward the campsite. For a moment, the wind touched his face again and he thought he could feel a familiar, warm hand on his shoulder. Of course, when he turned to look, all he saw was darkness and falling leaves.

 **With my work schedule being so crazy, I think this will be my last drabble-a-day challenge for a while. I'd like to once again remind everyone to not leave spoilers in the reviews. I'll see you all tomorrow. May our feels be strong in these trying times.**

 **Praise Monty and peace out!**


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